CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This research is set to examine the management styles and pupils’ academic performance in primary schools, using a case study of Kayunga District, Uganda. The independent variables were the management styles in primary schools while the dependent variable will be the academic performance of pupils in primary schools. This chapter covers the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research objectives, and research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study and the conceptual frame work.

1.1.0    Background to the study

1.1.1.  Historical background

The use of management styles to achieve organizational objectives and performance can be traced from the city of Ur (Iraq) in 3000 BC where Sumerian priests were the first to keep written records as a means of recording business transactions (Aqqad et al., 2019). Translations from early Egyptian papyri, dating back to 1300 BC, recognized the importance of organization and administration in bureaucratic states. The Biblical Moses is credited with employing his father-in-law, Jethro, as a management consultant to help design the organization through which Moses ruled the Hebrews in the desert (Katić et al., 2019).

Management entails the achievement of key expectations by working with people. Therefore, the use of the different management styles in achieving organizational goals started in the Europe and North America and this contributed a lot to their current level of development. With globalization, any new management practice has tended to diffuse rapidly to both developing and developed world (Al‐Hamdan et al., 2019).

Management styles are therefore the characteristic ways of making decisions. Various Management styles like democratic, autocratic, laissez-faire, paternalistic styles are usually executed for pupils’ academic performance (Sreih, Lussier, & Sonfield, 2019).

1.1.2. Conceptual Background

Armstrong, (Hu, Zhang, & Wang, 2020), contends that performance refers to both behaviors and results, and adjusting organizational behaviors and actions of work to achieve results or outcomes. Behaviors are outcomes in their own right and reactions to the product of mental and physical effort applied to tasks.  In school environments therefore, performance should not only be defined in terms of test scores, examination results, pupils’ ability to socially apply what is learnt, and the rate at which pupils move on to higher institutions of learning, but should consider the achievements of the school in other areas like equipping the learners with the requisite skills for survival, Merab (2010). However, the researcher is of the view that performance of any school should not only be considered from the academic outcomes only, but should also focus on other education outcomes such as the affective domains and the psychomotor skills.

1.1.3. Theoretical Background

The study will be guided by MacGregor’s (1906-1964), two alternative views of management towards employees. He termed these two sets of views as “Theory X” and “Theory Y” a dichotomy dealing with possible assumptions that managers make about workers (Hommelhoff, 2017).

Key elements of Theory X are that the average man is inherently lazy and would want to avoid work whenever possible. The theory further states that an ordinary man lacks ambition and must be led to ensure that he get results done (Franco‐Santos, & Otley, 2018).

According to the theory, employees are resistant to change. Therefore an employee should be Coerced and close controls are required. On the other hand, Theory Y assumes that; to an average man work is as natural as rest or play; he enjoys physical and mental effort. Motivation, potential for development, imagination and ingenuity are present in all people given proper conditions. Coercion and close control are not required. Finally Given proper conditions people will accept and seek responsibility and leadership rather than the security of being led (Franco‐Santos, & Otley, 2018).

McGregor believed that managers who hold theory X assumptions are likely to treat workers accordingly. On the other hand, managers who hold theory Y assumptions treat their workers as committed and responsible persons and give them more latitude in performing their tasks. These findings and conclusions should help managers to understand and appreciate people’s behaviors in organizations and make superiors sensitive to subordinate needs (Wallgren, 2013).

1.1.4. Contextual Background

There has been an increasing number of pupils in Kayunga district schools failing different subject something that has continued to worry the district education committee, this is due to the fact that the failure rate was seventeen percent in 2018 while in the years of 2019 and 2020 the failure rate of pupils in different subjects continued to increase from seventeen percent in the previous year to nineteen percent in 2019 and the same percentage in 2020. This has indicated a down ward trend in the percentage in the performance of pupils in primary leaving examinations (Trigueros et al., 2020).

From the analysis it is evident that there is still large number of pupils in Kayunga district primary schools who fail to obtain Division one and Division two academic grades. This shows that there is still a gap in the teaching of English. The UWEZO report (2018), indicates that there is need to improve on the teachers’ pedagogical skills in Kayunga district since most of the pupils in Kayunga face challenges in reading and writing. It’s against this background that this study intends to investigate into teachers’ pedagogical skills in the teaching of English language in selected schools in Kayunga district.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The success of any teaching process is measured by the extent of knowledge and skills acquired by the learners resulting into better academic performance (Boikhutso, 2016, Nicolalde, et al, 2017).  Globally there has been a debate on what could be the best pedagogical approach to impart knowledge to leaners so as to make learning more easy, interesting and better acquisition of knowledge for learners from teachers. However, the performance of pupils in primary schools in Kayunga district has been generally poor for over the last 3 years. The PLE results indicates a failure rate of 17% in 2018, 19% in 2019 and 21% in 2020. This poor performance therefore is not known to the management as to what could be the cause.

According to Tolera and  Ziyn (2017), Teachers have a tendency of teaching without preparing lesson plans, use of relevant teaching and learning resources. Such poor pedagogical practices are likely to result into limited knowledge acquisition leading to poor performance on the side of the learners. Therefore, the poor performance of pupils and the likely poor pedagogical approaches used by teachers have warranted the investigation into management styles and pupils academic performance in selected primary schools in Kayunga District.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to establish management styles and pupils’ academic performance in selected primary schools in kayunga district

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study will be;

• To identify the head teachers’ management styles in Primary schools in Kayunga district.
• To establish the relationship between head teachers’ management styles and pupils#s’ academic performance.
• To examine the challenges faced in executing management styles in primary schools in Kayunga district.

1.5 Research Question

The study will be guided by the following research questions.

• What head teachers’ management styles exist in primary schools in Kayunga district?
• Is there a relationship between head teachers’ management styles and pupils’ academic performance in primary school in Kayunga district?
• What are the challenges faced in executing management styles in primary schools in Kayunga district?

1.6 Significance of the Study

Owing to the significant role that management style plays in pupils’ academic performance, the finding of this study might act as an eye opener to school managers and managers of other learning institutions thus enabling them to adopt the best management styles for educational efficiency.

The findings might help to reveal to administrators, teachers and parents the effects of management styles on student’ academic performance.

The study might also help to draw attention to those management styles which are likely to contribute to poor working conditions and hence poor output.  Such findings might also help those involved in management training to discover areas where they should direct their efforts.

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.7.1. Content Scope

The study soeeks to examine head teachers’ Management Styles such as democratic, Autocratic and Laissez-Faire; on pupils’ academic performance in primary school and whether there is a significant relationship between head teachers’ management styles and pupils’ academic performance in Primary Schools in Kayunga district, Uganda.

1.7.2. Geographical Scope

The study waill be carried out in nine primary schools in Kayunga district. Kayunga district is found in northern Uganda. The study area is chosen because there are limited studies on management styles and performance of pupils in these schools. Samples will be picked from the selected schools.

1.7.3.   Time Scope

The study will cover a period of approximately one months in which data is collected and analyzed and a report presented.

1.8 Anticipated Problems and Limitations

Some respondents may be too busy with work related activities hence the researcher will persuade the respondents to spare some time to answer questionnaires.

Most respondents may be suspicious of spies on their jobs. But the researcher may try to explain the academic purpose of the research to minimize their fears.

Some respondents could have given false information to protect their images. However, the researcher will cross checked this by comparing this with the views from other stake holders.

Financial constraints may present another challenge to the researcher.

1.9 Conceptual Frame Work

Independent Variable                                                           Dependent Variable

Management styles                                               Pupils’ academic performance

Intervening Variables

Source:  Self developed, 2023

Figure 1.1: Model showing the relationship between management style and pupils                                    academic performance

According to the conceptual frame work the management styles in an organization include; democratic styles which includes making decisions together , using this management styles the managers especially the head of schools like Head teachers they consults their subordinates like teachers, school bursars and all the staffs in schools.

The conceptual frame work further indicates that autocratic management styles is also one of the key dimensions of management using this system the school managers make decision without soliciting the ideas of their subordinates and lastly Laisez fair management styles is also used by most schools to manage their school activities in school.

Although the moderating variable is not of primary interest to the researcher, it is nevertheless important since it has the potential to influence the outcome of the study (Barifaijo, Basheka & Oonyu, 2010). Hence the variables in question were studied for control purposes.

1.10 Operational definitions of key terms

Management style is the way in which an organization is administered, and how the management reactions and decisions affect those around them and their work. It is therefore the various ways of dealing with the subordinates at the workplace.

Academic Performance: refers to the measure of success by the educational institutions                    how well a student meets the standards set out by the Ministry of education and Sports.